Google Play introduces “Designed for Families” program for age appropriate apps

Google on Tuesday announced that it is working to make it easier to find applications and games, which are age-appropriate for kids. Currently, there is simply no easy way for find such applications in Google Play and the increasing size of the app portfolio in the store is only making it harder for the parents to find suitable apps.

To fix the problem, the search giant has unveiled the new “Design for Families” program for Android app developers, who will now be able to mark their apps as family-friendly.

Google will review the marked submissions and highlight them in the Play Store.

“Participating apps will be eligible for upcoming family-focused experiences on Google Play that will help parents discover great, age-appropriate content and make more informed choices. Starting now, developers can opt in their app or game through the Google Play Developer Console,” wrote Eunice Kim, Product Manager at Google Play in a blog post.

The specifics on how Google plans to highlight the family-friendly apps in Google Play are unclear at this point but we hope to hear more in the coming weeks.

Google has noted that to be eligible for “Designed for Families” tag, the apps will need to adhere to a strict set of requirements including the legal obligations. The developers can read the full set in the Google support page.